


Sapphire Eyes and Cherry Lips

by marvelxpendragon



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26784277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelxpendragon/pseuds/marvelxpendragon
Summary: ”𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”After living his life clinging to the hope that someday, Albion would be in its greatest need for the Once and Future King, and after that hope was crushed when Albion fell and came rushing the newer times, Merlin moved on with his life. At least that’s what he thought. Until one day, among the quiet streets of London, something peculiar happened. The one thing that kept him going through his eternal life.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 143





	Sapphire Eyes and Cherry Lips

“Morning, Bobby!” He greeted, kicking the door to the shop open with his foot, because he was carrying too many bags.

“Ah, Mike! Come in.” The middle-aged shop owner warmly smiled, rushing to help him with the packages. “You’re a life-saver, boy.” He said as he emptied the bags that contained the missing supplies, setting everything where it should be.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head at the simple compliment, feeling no pressure for buying the stuff they were running out of instead of Bobby. Bobby was the owner of a fairly small bakery shop at one of London’s quiet streets. He was a good man, and he helped him a lot with finding the place he’s living at and offered him the job he has now. 

Bobby is a married man who has two daughters; six year old twins. He says that they’re always drawing some sort of funny figures for their father to bake into biscuits. But the girls don’t know that the pile of drawings are stacked up somewhere in here, collecting dust. He first met them when Bobby invited him over to dine together and they seemed to like him very much.

As for Merlin, he didn’t know how he survived up to this day. It has been thousands of years since what happened. No one knows who he truly is, not even Bobby. No one knows that he doesn’t belong here, that he was once said to be the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth. As time passed, Merlin learned to adapt. It was hard at first, impossible even, but it happened. He found himself changing his appearance and back story according to the circumstances.

And right now, he was Mike, a young traveller who was looking for a place to settle in. And it was partly true; Merlin was tired of constantly moving from one place to another under different facades, because no one could know that he was almost three thousand years old. Besides, the aging spells wore him out sometimes, and he was happy that he could finally settle down with his real appearance. 

In all the places he has been, which were a lot, Arthur never left him. It was the, now vague, memories of them together that kept him going. During his early years in the modern world, he would sometimes visit the lake at night, and talk to him, hoping that he could somehow hear him, wherever he was. As the years passed, his visits became less frequent, and the spark of hope he held inside started to flicker, until the visits stopped.

From time to time, he would appear in his dreams. Some were awful; unpleasantly forcing him out of his sleep, and some were too good to be true, leaving him with a warm feeling the next morning. Merlin tried his best to hold onto every memory of them. He tried to keep his features engraved in his mind; his golden blond hair, the crystal blue eyes that were once his anchor, and his cherry lips. Merlin even attempted to draw the glimpses he remembered, so that he could never have a chance to forget them. 

It was when he appeared in his dreams with no features, just a light with shining blond hair, that Merlin knew that the last of his past life was leaving him. The sketches never worked, they never resembled Arthur’s incomparably defined features. Merlin felt guilty sometimes, that he let himself forget the little details that used to matter to him so much. One thing he never forgot, and the last thing he ever heard from the Great Dragon was,

_ “Take heart, for when Albion’s need is greatest, Arthur will rise again.” _

But he never did. Not until this day. Camelot, Albion, along with Arthur, were long gone now. The only thing that seemed to remain unchanged was the lake. It wasn’t too far from where Bobby’s shop was. It was now surrounded by tall buildings and busy streets, looking completely different. Merlin’s flat was almost two blocks away from his workplace, so it was a nice walk every morning for him in the cold breeze of winter. Even though he stopped visiting the lake a long time ago, he couldn’t help the feeling that settled deep in his chest every time he passed by it, or just stood staring at it for a few moments before he went back to what he was doing. Merlin has grown to like the idea of baking with Bob, he made it fun for him, and he made a good boss. It was a simple task which he found comfort in. 

Merlin was holding a bag of flour while Bob worked on a fresh dough. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and a black apron hung on his waist. Although the kitchen was full of all mixing types of machines that could work up a dough in less than ten minutes, Bobby refused to use them, saying he enjoyed crafting everything with his own hands.

They were both covered with a thin layer of flour, their hair looking grayish as well as their clothes. This was almost the fun part for Merlin. Once, the twin-sisters came to visit and spent a day with ‘Uncle Mike’ in the kitchen and they ended up throwing handfuls of the powdery ingredient at each other. That was the last time they came to the shop, and Merlin spent the night cleaning after what they did. 

Noises of people shrieking and yelling caught the attention of the young sorcerer and his fellow worker, expressions of concern etched onto their faces. The street wasn’t usually this loud, so something must have happened. Merlin assumed that it could be the pub owners across the street fighting again. He set the bag of flour onto the counter and rubbed his hands onto his apron before he headed out. 

“Let’s see what it is about this time.” Merlin sighed, shooting Bob a small smile.

“Be careful.” He warned, knowing that Merlin would listen to him 

Merlin stepped out into the cold, his breath coming out as steam into the air. He saw a group of people huddled together by the door of the pub, surrounding something that he couldn’t see from where he stood. He crossed the street and walked the short distance to where they were standing and squeezed his way past the small crowd. They were used to him coming and breaking up their fights.

“Come on, Jack, that’s en--” Merlin stopped talking when his eyes landed on Jack, one of the bar owners. But he wasn’t the cause of the trouble this time. At least that’s what he thought when he saw him. 

Jack was on his knees, a blade pointed at him. Merlin’s eyes followed the silver metal, his pulse quickening by the second. It completely stopped when he saw a leather-gloved hand gripping it, shiny armour covering the person’s arm and the rest of their body.

“Don’t you know who you’re talking to?!” They angrily shouted.

No, it couldn’t be. 

“Oh for god’s sake, take that stupid toy away and go back to the costume party you came from.” Jack spat. 

“I’m the king of Camelot, and you will show me some respect!” The people around Merlin jumped at the voice, panic marking their features. 

_ No way. _

He immediately stepped forward, hauling Jack up to his feet, ignoring the gasps he heard from the passer-by people and hanging his head low, for fear that the man would recognise him. He was still telling himself that it wasn’t real. That’s impossible. It has been nearly three thousand years, he must be seeing things. But were all those people seeing things, too? 

Jack’s shorter and thinner figure that kept fighting Merlin’s arms off on their way back indoors failed to stop him. Jack was an old stubborn man who did not like it when someone disrespected him, or any of his friends. Merlin believed he meant no harm in that, but that is what gets him in trouble every time. 

As soon as they were inside, Jack started yelling. “Let me show that prat what men like me are made of!” He tried to walk past him, but Merlin stopped him.

“What? You don’t believe me? I tell ya! I can give him an old good beating.” The short man raised an arm, getting ready to throw a punch. 

Merlin softly chuckled, “I’m sure he has learned his lesson.” 

“He dared raise that thing at me! What is wrong with kids these days?!” He blew out a breath, stunned at what he saw.

Merlin was impatient; he wanted to get back out as fast as he could. 

“You did your best out there by coming with me, now, stay inside and  _ don’t  _ talk about this to anyone, alright?” 

“If you weren’t such a good kid to me, I wouldn’t have listened. Now, go get that oaf back to whatever nuthouse he came from.” He gave Merlin a light push on his way out.

Merlin ran back outside, and found him still yelling at other people who were either terrified, laughing, or even filming. He turned his back to him and faced them, shooing them away from the scene. Everyone gradually walked away until they were the only ones left. He was still standing with his back to him, not feeling sane enough to turn around. 

“Hey! You there!” 

“Yeah?” Merlin answered, his hands fumbling together. 

“Could you tell me how I can find the way back to Camelot?”

Merlin screwed his eyes shut, and slowly turned around, thinking that he was in some sort of a dream. His breathing was irregular from how many things he was feeling at the same time. He opened his eyes, but everything was the same. He was still standing there in his armour, his sword grasped in his right hand. The wind blew his light-coloured hair off his forehead as he walked towards Merlin.

The closer he walked, the faster his heart beat in his chest. He was seconds away from the possibility of Arthur recognising him. He has waited for this moment for so long; long enough that it seemed surreal that he was standing right in front of him. 

Arthur Pendragon in all his glory.

“I’m sorry, you seem a bit familiar, have we--” He stopped inches away, squinting his eyes as his lips parted in confusion, before it hit him.

“Are you-- is that you?” 

“Merlin.” He nodded, his face breaking into a wide grin. 

In seconds, Arthur’s free arm wrapped tightly around him, pulling him into a hug. He let out a relief-filled laugh as Merlin hugged him back just as tight. He patted his shoulder repeatedly, showing how much he’d missed him. Merlin’s own eyes were tearing up as he held him, his hands clutching Arthur’s armour, making sure that he was really here. 

“What is this place?” Arthur asked, the perplexity seen on his face again.

“Welcome to London.” Merlin smiled, motioning at the narrow street they were standing in.

“You  _ live  _ here?” 

Merlin glanced sideways, making sure that no more people were peeking at them from around the corners.

“We will talk about everything, I promise. But first, we need to get you out of here.” He noted, looking at Bobby’s shop entrance. 

“ _ Finally.  _ Let’s get back to Camelot then.” He tucked his sword away in his waist.

“Arthur, there  _ is  _ no Camelot.” Merlin blurted, grabbing his shoulders.

“Have you been drinking, Merlin? What do you mean there’s no--”

“ _ Please _ , just stay here for one second, I will be back.” He said, before he sprinted back to the bakery shop, hearing Arthur howl his name. He hadn’t realised his knees got too wobbly, until he tripped on his own feet, almost landing on his face. 

Merlin peered at Bob through the door, and called for him.

“What took you so long?” He frowned.

“You know Jack.” He lifted his shoulders knowingly.

Bobby chuckled, agreeing with Merlin.

“I need to take the rest of the day off.” Merlin rushed to say, his fingers tapping the door impatiently. 

“Are you alright?” He seemed worried.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s just-- a friend called and they need my help.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“I thought you had no friends?” The man raised his eyebrows at him.

“Well, turns out I have one.” He smiled. “It’s just been a really long time since we last met.” His eyes glanced down at his feet before he looked back up at his boss.

“If they’re really that important to you, then go. You earned it.” Bobby smiled back at him.

“You have no idea.” Merlin’s teeth showed as he smiled wide. “Thanks, Bob.” 

“You’re going to meet them like that?” Bobby referred to the apron that was smudged with flour and bread dough.

Merlin looked down at his waist and his cheeks flushed. He untied it and hung it by the door like they always do. 

“Have a good day, Mike.” 

“You, too!” Merlin said back, before he took off. 

He was met with a fuming angry and confused Arthur. 

“You are going to explain yourself,  _ right now. _ ” He promptly said.

“People are already staring, let’s go somewhere safe where we could talk.” Merlin urged him to walk but he didn’t budge.

“And you happen to know  _ somewhere safe where we could talk _ , Merlin?” He pushed.

“Yes,  _ Arthur,  _ I do.” Merlin fake-smiled and grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to walk towards the building where Merlin lives.

Merlin could see people gawking and laughing at them all the way until they arrived. He took out his keys and opened the door, letting Arthur step in first. He shut the door after them and switched on the lights. Alarmed, Arthur wielded his sword, looking for a possible threat.

“Woah woah.” Merlin raised his hands. “I just switched on the lights.” He chuckled.

“By using your magic, right?” Arthur asked, curiosity evident in his eyes. He has calmed down now that he knew what happened. He let the Excalibur down on the table by the window. 

“No.” Merlin smiled. “That wasn’t my magic. It’s the magic of the modern world.” 

Arthur did not seem to understand what Merlin said, because he totally ignored it and asked something else.

“But do you still have your..” He motioned at his hands.

“You mean this?” Merlin grinned, flipping his hand and making a small blue flame erupt from his palm. 

The light reflected onto Arthur’s face as he approached. The faint blue light made his eyes shine brighter, highlighting the look of awe he held inside them. “Yeah, that.” He whispered.

Merlin casually folded his hand onto the blue fire and let his hand fall by his side again.

“I forgot to ask.” He frowned. “Why are you dressed funny?” He scrunched up his nose, pointing at the black jumper Merlin was wearing and the pair of dark jeans.

“ _Me._ _I_ am the one dressed funny?” 

“Yes! People were staring at you the whole time.” 

“Of course they were staring at me, because they see a man dressed in a knight’s clothes with a lethal sword every day.” 

“That’s right.” He whole-heartedly agreed. 

Merlin raised his eyebrows and muttered under his breath. “You haven’t changed one bit.” 

“What was that?” 

“Nothing!” 

“And what’s that on your face?” Arthur pointed at him.

“Where?” He randomly wiped at his face.

“ _ On your cheek, Merlin. _ ” Arthur rolled his eyes. He watched him struggle to find whatever he was pointing at before he pushed his hands away from his face, took his gloves off and his hand went up to his right cheek and softly rubbed at it.

Merlin awkwardly stared at him, feeling his ears heat up at the gesture.

“What?” Arthur asked bluntly.

“Nothing.” 

“You’re terrible at lying, Merlin.” He said, his hand still stroking Merlin’s cheek, and he was starting to think that whatever was there has already been gone. 

“Your hands are cold.” He lied. 

Arthur seemed taken aback for a second, before it went away as quickly as it came. “Well, if you haven’t noticed, Merlin. It’s  _ freezing _ .” 

“It’s okay, you will feel warmer in a few minutes.” Merlin assured, because he has turned up the heat. 

“Yeah, a lot warmer.” He said, easing the heavy clothing around his neck where the armour left a slight redness, indicating that he wasn’t feeling that comfortable.

“You don’t have to wear all of that, you know.” Merlin mentioned.

“You’re right. Help me take that off, then.” He turned around and raised his arms by his sides, waiting for Merlin to rid him of the metal that weighed him down.

Merlin shook his head, a smile shaping his full lips. He missed this. He missed this so much. He unstrapped the leather belt that held the armour in place and Arthur instantly craned his neck back in relief, releasing a soft low groan. Merlin’s stomach flipped, but he widened his eyes as if he was glaring at himself, telling himself that this was so low of him. 

Free of the silver metal that was restraining him, Arthur was left wearing a red tunic and his usual brown trousers. 

“Tea?” Merlin smiled. 

“That won’t be a bad idea.” Arthur nodded. 

“You can sit over there if you want.” Merlin pointed at the creme coloured sofa that was lined up against the wall. 

Arthur followed his gaze and hesitantly walked to where he was pointing and took a seat, awkwardly looking around him. 

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He said before he headed to his small kitchen.

He was about to make tea for the person who died in his arms thousands of years ago. The person who was sitting in his own flat, unaware of everything his manservant went through while he waited for his return. He was still trying to wrap his mind around it. Minutes later as Merlin promised, he was back with two mugs of hot steaming tea. 

“Here.” Merlin handed him his cup, which Arthur welcomed. 

He took a seat on the armchair next to the sofa so he could watch him closer. Arthur took a sip of his tea before it went spraying out of his mouth and onto the table.

“What is this rubbish?!” He ‘accidentally’ slammed down the cup on the wooden surface.

“And, you’re welcome.” Merlin sipped onto his own drink.

“You call this tea?” Arthur hissed, wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

“It’s what they call it these days, and it actually doesn’t taste that bad.” Merlin teased.

“I could live without it.” Arthur sat back, resting his head against the back of the sofa, closing his eyes for a few moments. 

Merlin couldn’t help but stare. Arthur came back. He let his eyes travel to his perfectly prominent jawline, his hair that rested on his forehead, his chest that was peacefully rising and falling in steady breaths. 

_ It’s all real. _

“Stop staring, Merlin. It’s rude.” Arthur teased, opening one eye to catch him red-handed before he sat up properly. 

Merlin looked away, feeling his cheeks getting warm. “I wasn’t staring.” He argued.

“I must have been imagining things then.” He suppressed a smile.

“Yeah.” Merlin replied, feeling embarrassed. 

Silence filled the air for a while, each of them thinking about a thousand things per minute. Arthur was the first to break it.

“Did you ever return?” He asked quietly. 

“To Camelot?” Merlin set down his tea.

Arthur nodded, dread and sorrow screaming out of his eyes.

“No.” Merlin looked down. “It was hard for me to return there without you.” 

“How long has it been?” 

“Decades, Arthur.” Merlin swallowed. “Thousands of years.” 

“So, the knights, Guinevere, everything..” His eyes were staring at the table ahead of him, tears brimming them.

“I’m sorry.” Merlin whispered, placing a hand on his knee to comfort him. He withdrew it quickly when Arthur’s eyes fell on his hand, a flash of warmth overtaking his features before it turned to questionable one.

“So what year is it now?” 

“Two thousand and twenty.” Merlin uttered.

“And you lived all this time on your own?” He sadly asked.

Merlin’s shoulders fell, “I had help on the way. There are a lot of good people out there.” He briefly smiled.

“Tell me everything.” Arthur rested his hand on his cheek, and listened to Merlin talk for hours about his life over the years. 

The night has fallen, and Arthur’s eyes were starting to seem droopy, soft yawns creeping their way into the conversation every now and then. Merlin, too, was starting to feel tired. 

“My room is just down that hall, last door on the right.” Merlin directed Arthur as they both stood up. He took the now empty mugs and went to the kitchen to wash them. He didn’t go in there until he saw Arthur step into his room, successfully turning the lights on. 

He was halfway through washing the items in his sink when he heard Arthur yell out his name. He dropped them in the sink and rushed to the room, worried that something might have happened. 

“What are these?” He asked, an unreadable expression on his face. 

Merlin’s eyes skimmed what he was holding, and his stomach dropped. “Oh,” He breathed. “These are, these are—“ He struggled to find the words.

“Were you trying to draw me?” He chuckled. 

Merlin’s face burnt in awkwardness and he had to look away from Arthur’s eyes that were piercing through him, reading him like an open book. He placed them onto the nightstand and walked over to him, raising his chin so they could be in eye-contact. 

“It’s alright. I love them.” He whispered, softly gazing at him.

“I was— I didn’t want to forget how you looked. It has been so long, Arthur.” He admitted, his voice shaky from the lump he was trying to fight so hard. “I thought I’d never see you again.” He couldn’t help but sob the last sentence, taking a deep breath right afterwards.

“It’s okay, I’m here now.” Arthur soothed, wrapping his arms around his slim figure. His hands slowly ran up and down Merlin’s back, sending waves of warmth deep down inside him.

Merlin buried his head in Arthur’s neck, taking in his natural scent. This was the second time they hugged today, and in both times, Arthur was the one who urged it. 

“Merlin, there’s something important I need to tell you.” Arthur muttered over his shoulder where his chin rested.

“What is it?” Merlin pulled back, his eyes examining Arthur closely.

Arthur stared him in the eyes, for a good amount of time. His tears-filled eyes kept flickering between Merlin’s, flashes of hesitation appearing occasionally.

“Arthur?” Merlin worried, softly wiping at his wet cheek.

“I love you.” He whispered, and Merlin’s insides burst with fireworks.

“It is you, Merlin. It’s always been you.” 

Merlin could have sworn that this was a dream. Arthur has just confessed his love to him, something that Merlin had wanted to do for a long time, and his heart sank every time he thought about it and remembered that it could never happen. Because he thought he’d lost him. He thought he’d never see him again, but he was wrong. 

He was standing in the arms of his first and last love, and nothing could stop them now.

“Merlin, say something.” Arthur said uncomfortably, his cheeks tinted with a shade of pink. 

Merlin hadn't realised that he had been staring silently at him until Arthur spoke. But it wasn’t long before he responded. He hesitantly leaned closer, his eyes glancing down at his lips before they went up to his blue eyes again. One glance at his eyes was enough to tell Merlin that yes, he wanted this too. They kissed, and it was the most magical thing Merlin has ever felt in years. His stomach was exploding with butterflies and he felt like his heart was in his ears.

An hour or so later, they were lying in Merlin’s bed, covered with the soft fabric of his covers. Merlin’s head rested against Arthur’s warm chest, where he heard his heart beating regularly. 

“What happened?” Merlin whispered, drawing small patterns over his abdomen. “How did you come back?” 

“I don’t know.” His voice was laced with deep thought. 

Merlin tried to rephrase the question.

“I mean, all this time, and you came back just today. Why?” 

“Would you believe me if I told you?” Arthur hesitantly asked as he stroked a strand of Merlin’s dark hair.

“Try me.” He smiled.

“I heard you.” 

“What?” 

“There were times when you visited the lake and you would talk. Sometimes, I heard you.” He said, his voice indicating that he was smiling as he remembered.

There goes one more thing Merlin thought that could never be possible.

His lips were drawn into a smile when he remembered some of the times he did visit him, but then a question popped in his mind.

“How did it feel being,” He paused, not wanting to say the word.

“Dead?” Arthur’s chest vibrated with a soft laugh and Merlin scowled.

“I can literally see the scowl on the back of your head.” He joked, breaking the grimace on his face.

“It felt like a dream.” He said, his hand gently roaming Merlin’s back. “It felt like I was asleep for a few hours.” 

“But apparently, I slept for nearly three thousand years.” He chortled and Merlin joined him.

They calmed down, peaceful silence overcoming them. The only sound that filled the air was their soft steady breaths. Merlin’s fingers were drawing random patterns on his chest, letting his hand travel anywhere. His hand stopped at Arthur’s left side, and he felt a pang in his heart. 

His fingers softly, but shakily traced the scar, feeling every crease and groove as if he was memorising it. “Does it hurt?” He whispered.

“No.” Arthur replied, placing his hand over Merlin’s. “Not anymore.” 

“I wish I could have done anything to save you.” He admitted in a low voice. “I wished I had an ability to take away your pain then.” 

“You did.” Merlin raised his head to look at Arthur who was smiling down at him. “When you held me, you did.” 

“Stop blaming yourself.” He pleaded as Merlin adjusted his head on his chest again. “I’m here, now. We’re together, and nothing can change that.” 

That was enough to fill the gaps time has carved out of his heart while he waited for his king to come back. It was enough to make him hold onto him tighter.

Merlin was no longer feeling tired, and he could tell that Arthur too, wasn’t feeling as sleepy as he was earlier. 

“Do you have a place where you could get a good cold tankard of mead in this modern world of yours?” Arthur asked out of nowhere, a smile complimenting his features.

Merlin’s eyes lit up as plopped himself onto his elbows, his face beaming. “I know a place that serves what’s better than mead.” 

“Better than  _ mead _ ?” Arthur doubtedly asked.

“Get up.” He urged, excitement coursing through him as he pulled the sheets off and got up, putting back his pair of dark jeans.

Arthur followed, proceeding to wear his brown trousers. Merlin stopped halfway and pursed his lips in thought. Arthur must have noticed the quietness because he turned to look at him with a questioning look. 

“Are you alright?” 

“Yeah.” He nodded, trying to stop himself from smiling. 

“What is it, Merlin?” He helplessly sat on the edge of the bed.

“You can’t go outside in that.” He nervously referred to his clothes.

“And wear clothes like yours? No, thank you.” Arthur shook his head in refusal.

“Trust me, you don’t want what happened this morning to happen again.” Merlin said, mostly on his behalf. 

“They won’t even fit.” Arthur crossed his arms over his bare chest, his biceps bulging. 

“We’ll figure it out.” Merlin assured, already opening his wardrobe and rummaging through his clothes. 

He found an oversized shirt that was lying at the back, tangled up with the other items of clothing he never wore. He pulled out a pair of black trousers which looked slim-fitting. 

“Here, try these.” He handed them over to him and waited patiently. 

Arthur reluctantly took them and slid the trousers up his legs, the fabric slightly tight at the thighs. Merlin then helped him wear the shirt, and he was surprised that it fit just perfectly. 

“You look great.” Merlin raised a thumbs up, but Arthur held a blank expression to his face.

“Great as in just as stupid as you look?” He said, before he turned to look at his reflection in the mirror.

“Once again, you’re welcome.” Merlin sighed.

He stood behind him, looking at Arthur’s reflection. He looked quite alright, and they were lucky that he found clothes that could actually  _ fit  _ him. His eyes then went to his hair. The hair at the nape of his neck extended to the collar of the shirt, and his hair fringe was almost touching his eyes. He caught Merlin’s eyes staring at the back of his head and he instantly turned around to face him. 

“Now,  _ what  _ is wrong with my hair?” 

“Nothing, it’s—“ 

“You’re right, Merlin. Nothing.” Arthur forced a smile. 

“You look like a five year old who’s too scared to get a haircut! Besides, no one really wears their hair like that anymore.” Merlin argued.

Arthur narrowed his eyes. “You’ll take that back.” 

“No, I won’t.” Merlin challenged. 

Arthur grabbed a pillow and threw it at Merlin, but he successfully ducked, dodging it. “Nah, not as quick as you used to be.” He grinned.

“You are  _ not  _ touching my hair.” Arthur warned. “It’s final, Merlin.” 

“Who said I was going to?” He smiled, before he raised his eyebrows, glaring at Arthur’s head. 

“What—“

In a second, his hair was cut shorter around the sides and the back of his head, leaving the top a little longer. Merlin giggled under his breath, a proud look on his face. Arthur’s hands went up to his hair, looking for the fringe that previously lined his forehead. His nostrils flared in anger, before he shouted.

“ _ Merlin! _ ” 

“Before you start freaking out, take a look.” Merlin forced him by the shoulders to face the mirror.

Arthur stared at his new look, turning his head in almost all directions to get a full view. He didn’t look as frustrated as before, and at that, Merlin spoke.

“Now you’re good to go.” Merlin patted his back and went to put on a pair of shoes. 

“At least I look better than you.” He said, fiddling with the collar of his shirt.

“So, you actually admit that it looks good. That’s progress.” He sarcastically remarked.

“Shut up, Merlin.” Arthur rolled his eyes.

After pointless bickering and Arthur complaining about the weather, they finally reached their destination, which was the pub. They entered, taking off their jackets and leaving them by the door. It was much warmer inside, and the place was dimly lit. Jack’s place wasn’t always packed with people, which served as a relief for Merlin. He caught Arthur moving with the corner of his eyes and he looked next to him to see what he was doing. 

“What are you doing? Stop!” Merlin whispered, glaring at Arthur who was uncomfortably tugging at his trousers. 

“Have you ever worn them? They are  _ ridiculously  _ tight.” He snapped under his breath. 

“It’s not my fault that you’re thicker.” Merlin teased.

“Did you just call me fat?” 

“ _ Fit _ . The word is fit, of course.” He took it back, already walking ahead of him, hoping he drops the subject.

They went straight to the bar and took a seat on two high stools. Arthur kept gazing at the place, taking in his surroundings. Merlin smiled to himself at the stunned look Arthur had, which he tried to hide by putting on an annoyed face, every time Merlin caught him.

“Now we wait.” He said, leaning forward and resting his elbows onto the wooden surface. 

“For what?” Arthur asked, confused.

“What odds shall I thank for bringing you here, tonight?” The old man’s voice boomed, diverting Merlin’s attention to his short figure.

“Evening, Jack.” He beamed. 

Jack’s eyes then travelled to Arthur, a small smile still plastered onto his face. 

“That’s,” Merlin was about to introduce Arthur, but he cut him off.

“Greetings!” He grinned at Jack, extending out his hand.

Jack froze for a few seconds before he shook Arthur’s hand back, laughing lightly at the unusual gesture.

“Your friend here is just as awfully nice as you, Mike.” The man arched his eyebrows in surprise. 

“Him?” Merlin pointed at Arthur next to him, who looked offended by his doubt. “You must be joking.” He chuckled. 

Before Arthur could argue, Merlin had ordered their drinks, sending the man away. 

“Is that the man I--” 

“ _ Yes _ .” Merlin confirmed, “So, I’d appreciate it if you stayed  _ as awfully nice as  _ me.” 

At that, he let out a snort. 

“ _ Mike. _ ” Arthur mouthed, mocking the name. “Couldn’t have found a worse name, Merlin.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry, choosing a name that sounds appealing to you  _ should  _ have been my first priority while coming up with a different identity.” Merlin said back.

“Could have chosen mine.” Arthur smirked. 

“Unbelievable.” Merlin shook his head, a smile creeping up his lips. 

Minutes later, Jack came back with two full pints of beer and set each in front of them. 

“Thank you.” Merlin nodded, and Jack stood with his hands on his hips, a weird look on his face. 

“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.” He squinted at Arthur.

“You own a tavern, Jack. You see a lot of people everyday.” Merlin was quick to distract him. 

“You’re probably right.” The man scratched his forehead and turned away at someone calling for a refill. 

“That was close.” Merlin mumbled. 

“Relax, Merlin. He looks like he can’t see past two metres, anyway.” Arthur chuckled, patting his back rather roughly like he always does.

Merlin watched as he grabbed his drink and started chugging it down, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down in the process. He set down the empty container and let out a deep breath. 

“Well?” He breathed with a quirked eyebrow. 

“I’ll take that you liked it?” Merlin asked, amused. 

“It’s not that bad.” Arthur wiped the corners of his mouth as he swept the pint forward, waiting for his second refill while Merlin was only halfway through his first. 

Arthur’s second refill came, and was downed within seconds just like the first one. 

“Stop gawking, Merlin. You’ve been staring at me like I’ve grown a second head.” He panted. 

“Is this one of the times when you are about to say something that kills the fun?” He sighed impatiently.

“No, no. I’m glad you’re enjoying your time, but--” Merlin stopped himself when he realised that he was about to do what Arthur exactly said.

“These drinks are a lot heavier than what you’re used to.” He warned. 

Arthur let out a laugh, “Don’t be such a girl, Merlin.” He snapped his fingers and motioned at his glass, wanting another one. “I could take it.” 

“Alright, champ. Drink all you want.” Merlin fake-smiled. “But I’m not dragging your arse back home.” He muttered the last part to himself.

Three pints in and, Merlin was feelin a little tipsy, and decided that this would be the last drink for him. He still needed to get back safely. Especially that Arthur was now swaying in his seat after having from five to six drinks, he almost lost count. 

“So, how long have you two been together?” Jack blurted out of nowhere, causing Merlin to choke on the liquid in his mouth. 

His eyes darted to Arthur who seemed too busy drinking or too drunk to pay attention to the question.

“We’re not—“

“Boy, I’m older than both of your ages summed together.” Merlin almost let out a laugh at the sentence.

_ If only he knew how old he actually is.  _

“I know love when I see it.” He tapped Merlin’s hand, shooting him a kind look. 

“Hey!” Arthur slurred loudly, calling for Jack. “Yooouu,” He pointed at him, “Are a great man for serving us tonight.” He handed over his empty cup for the god-knows-what time.

“I think you’ve had enough.” Merlin sighed, grabbing Arthur’s arm as he swayed back, almost falling off his chair. 

“Don’t be a funkiller,  _ Merliiin _ .” He giggled, staring at him through his droopy eyes. 

  
  


“Merlin?” Jack came back with another glass full of liquor, handing it to Arthur who grabbed it like he had just won a trophy. 

“It’s a nickname!” Merlin exclaimed. 

“He named you after an ancient sorcerer?” The man laughed.

“ _ Yes! _ ” Arthur yelled, slamming down the glass. “For heee,” He grabbed Merlin’s shoulder after missing it two times in an attempt, “Has enchanted me!” 

“Please don’t get him any more drinks.” Merlin begged Jack who was standing with an amused expression on his face.

“With looove!” Arthur continued, cupping Merlin’s cheeks, beaming at him like a child.

“I can’t with you two.” The man shook his head, laughing. 

“That’s definitely enough.” Merlin stood up and hauled Arthur to his feet. 

He shoved his hand in his pocket to take out the money for their drinks, but Jack stopped him. 

“Your drinks are on me, tonight.” He smiled.

“No, I can’t—“

“I said what I said.” He insisted. “Now, go.” He shooed them away with a warm look on his face.

He thanked the old man and stumbled away with Arthur’s arm draped over his shoulder. He managed to get them both into their jackets before they stepped out into the cold quiet night. 

“Why did we leave?” Arthur pouted.

“Because  _ you  _ didn’t listen to me and now I have to drag your arse back to my place.” Merlin huffed, lifting more of Arthur’s weight onto him. 

“Heeey!” He sounded offended. 

As much as it was annoying, and pulling Arthur’s weight alongside him wasn’t easy, Merlin couldn’t help but feel amused at his state. He has never seen him like this before. At least that’s what he thought. 

Minutes of silence passed, the sound of their footsteps being the only sound that could be heard, before Arthur broke it.

“Merlin?” He slurred.

“Hmm.” He replied, pushing the door to the building open and taking Arthur inside. 

“Do you really love me?” The question caught Merlin off guard, because it sounded so sincere. There was no humour in it. And that was  _ so not  _ Arthur.

“You don’t think I do?” Merlin frowned. 

He stayed silent, his bloodshot eyes slowly blinking at Merlin. Merlin leaned in, resting his forehead against Arthur’s and cupping his cheeks. “I have loved you for an eternity, and I will love you, till the end of time.” He whispered.

“Even when I’m no longer around?” Arthur whispered back, almost sounding sober.

“You will always be around.” Merlin softly smiled. He grabbed Arthur’s hand and placed it over his beating heart. “For your place is here, Arthur Pendragon. This is where you belong.” 

Arthur smiled back at him, his deep blue eyes staring into his. Merlin leaned closer and pecked his lips. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.” He tugged on his hand.

Merlin climbed first, and tried to support Arthur’s body up with him, but he kept tripping, either missing steps or trying to climb a step  _ two  _ times. 

“Come on!” Merlin sighed, descending down a few steps to be on the same level as Arthur.

Merlin wrapped an arm around Arthur’s waist and heaved him up, successfully getting him to climb one step, before it all happened too quickly. In no time, they were toppling down the stairs they were attempting to climb before they landed in a thud. Merlin’s head throbbed in pain as he rubbed it.

“My  _ baaack _ !” Arthur grimaced, trying to reach for where his back was, only for his hand to collide with Merlin’s leg. 

Short moments of silence passed with them awkwardly sprawled out onto the flight of stairs, their bodies somehow tangled together, before Arthur started to laugh and Merlin joined him.

Their laughter echoed through the night, filling every corner with warmth and joy. It has only taken Merlin a day to realise how much he missed this, how much he missed Arthur. 

And he learned how lucky he was that he could tell him that right now. Nothing was there to stop them. 

Their laughter had died down a bit, and Merlin was quick to speak first. “I’ve missed you so much.” 


End file.
